Scheduled Monuments›Scotland›Martin's Stone, cross slab, Balkello
Cross slab, balkello

Martin's Stone, cross slab, Balkello

Scotland
HES SM159
Site type
Cross slab, balkello
Nation
Scotland
Boundary

Scheduled area

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Overview

History & significance

Martin's Stone is a cross slab located at Balkello in Angus, Scotland, dating to the early medieval period. The monument comprises a stone bearing incised cross decoration characteristic of the Pictish or early Christian carved stone tradition of eastern Scotland. Such cross slabs typically served commemorative, territorial, or religious functions within early medieval communities and represent important evidence of Christian practice and artistic conventions in the region during the early historic period. The stone survives as a significant example of the sculptured monuments that punctuate the Angus landscape from this formative period in Scottish history.

Martin's Stone, cross slab, Balkello is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM159. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Martin's Stone, cross slab, Balkello?

Martin's Stone is a cross slab located at Balkello in Angus, Scotland, dating to the early medieval period. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM159.

Who is responsible for protecting Martin's Stone, cross slab, Balkello?

Martin's Stone, cross slab, Balkello is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic Environment Scotland — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Scotland. The official designation reference is SM159.

What other scheduled monuments are near Martin's Stone, cross slab, Balkello?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Cursus and barrows, 240m NE of Bullionfield (7.5 km), Wishart Arch, gateway 50m E of 15 Cowgate, Dundee (7.6 km), Invergowrie, souterrains W of TA Centre (7.8 km).

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Everything a full report reveals about Martin's Stone, cross slab, Balkello

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Martin's Stone, cross slab, Balkello's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Stat Accounts
The parish Statistical Accounts of the 1790s and 1830s, describing life, work and population here.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
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Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

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Nearby

Other scheduled monuments within 10 km

Cursus and barrows, 240m NE of Bullionfield
240m ne of bullionfield7.5 km
Wishart Arch, gateway 50m E of 15 Cowgate, Dundee
Iron Age · Gateway 50m e of 15 cowgate, dundee7.6 km
Invergowrie, souterrains W of TA Centre
Iron Age · Souterrains w of ta centre7.8 km
St Peter's Church & graveyard, Invergowrie
Invergowrie7.8 km
Invergowrie, enclosure 150m SW of TA Centre
Post-Medieval · Enclosure 150m sw of ta centre7.9 km
Huntly Farm, enclosures 300m ESE of
Post-Medieval · Enclosures8.1 km
Mylnefield, souterrains 290m and 385m E of
Iron Age · Souterrains 290m and8.2 km
Mylnefield, ring ditch and souterrain 595m ESE of
Iron Age · Ring ditch and souterrain8.2 km
The ground beneath

The bedrock under Martin's Stone, cross slab, Balkello

Martin's Stone, cross slab, Balkello stands on Arbuthnott-Garvock Group, bedrock that formed in the Pragian. The rock here is sandstone with subordinate conglomerate, siltstone and mudstone.

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